Canada heading into wildfire season with above-average temps, minimal snow

Widespread drought, warmer weather and minimal snow cover during the winter means Canada could see an intense wildfire season through the spring and summer after unprecedented burns last year.

Widespread drought, warmer weather and minimal snow cover during the winter means Canada could see an intense wildfire season through the spring and summer after unprecedented burns last year.

In what is now regarded as Canada’s worst wildfire season to date, fires scorched more than 15 million hectares of land for more than four months in 2023. About 230,000 people were evacuated from their communities, aided by the deployment of 2,000 Canadian Armed Forces personnel and 5,500 emergency firefighters brought in from other countries.

This year, Environment and Climate Change Canada predicts above-normal temperatures will persist nationwide, though precipitation levels – a key aspect of wildfire risk – is more difficult to forecast.

However, elevated temperatures and drought in B.C., Alberta and Ontario could lead to an “explosive” wildfire season, Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said during a news conference on Wednesday. There are also forecasts of elevated risks elsewhere in Canada.

This is a breaking news story. More details to come.